Salgaa could soon get a new roadside station as part of plans to improve safety and facilities for motorists using the Rironi-Mau Summit Highway.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) said it has received a proposal from Women in Real Estate (WIRE) to establish the facility along the highway, which is currently under construction.
The proposed roadside station is expected to give motorists a safer and more organised place to stop while travelling along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru route.
KeNHA said the proposal is aimed at improving roadside facilities and addressing some of the safety challenges faced by road users.
“The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has received a proposal from Women in Real Estate (WIRE) exploring the possibility of a collaborative agreement for the establishment of a Roadside Station at Salgaa,” the authority said.
WIRE wants the facility to be designed with different categories of road users in mind, including women and other vulnerable groups.
The organisation said it is looking at a gender-responsive approach that would make the station safe, accessible and inclusive.
The proposed development is also expected to provide a commercially viable facility that can offer services to motorists while benefiting the surrounding community.
Salgaa Accident Black Spot
Salgaa has been infamous for several years now as the site of road accidents that have led to fatalities, with numerous accidents having been recorded in the area over time involving trucks, buses and other cars.
Some of the worst road accidents have taken place in Salgaa such as the one which occurred in 2009 when a fuel truck overturned causing fuel leakage along the highway.
In this accident, individuals who went to collect the fuel from the leaking fuel truck became victims of explosion when the truck erupted into fire.
Over 130 individuals perished in this incident, while another 10 died as a result of injuries sustained and while seeking medical attention.
Salgaa has continued to pose numerous challenges relating to road safety, mainly as a result of heavy traffic in the area as well as numerous trucks and other public service vehicles traversing this particular road.
Should the proposed roadside station be constructed, it will offer long distance truck drivers and passengers with a designated place to rest and even sleep.
The construction of the roadside station will also solve the problem of unorganized parking by trucks along the highway shoulder.
This kind of parking is hazardous, especially at night when it is hard to see the cars that have been parked. The structure will offer safe parking and other amenities to the motorists instead of them stopping at unsafe locations on the road.
KeNHA said the proposal is part of efforts to improve road safety and provide roadside infrastructure that meets the changing needs of motorists and communities living along major highways.
The authority is expected to consider the proposal before any construction work can begin.